Pedal boards have been used by drummers since the early 1900s to allow them to use their feet to strike bass drums with foot actuated beater sticks. Since that time, the basic construction of the pedal mechanism has changed little. A hinged foot board is operated by the drummer's foot and is connected by a crank or cam linkage to an axle that turns when the pedal is depressed. The beater stick is mounted to the axle and is driven rotatively against the drum when the pedal is depressed.
One of the main problems with this construction is that a tension spring is needed to return the pedal to its original position and pull the beater away from the drum when the pedal board is released. The spring is connected by an eccentric to the axle so that the spring is stretched when the eccentric is turned as the axle is rotated by depression of the pedal. The deformation of the spring causes it to return the components to their original positions when the foot pressure of the drummer is released.
The resistance applied by a spring is inconsistent and uneven as its extension changes. The more a tension spring is stretched, the more resistance it offers. In a drum pedal assembly, this can be a significant problem because the spring is extended to its maximum and offers maximum resistance when the beater stick reaches a critical area just before and as it strikes the drum head. Excessive resistance is thus provided at the time the drum head is struck. The manner in which the spring is mounted making use of an eccentric creates pendulum type motion in addition to stretching, and this compounds the problem by complicating the motion at the point where evenness and consistency is most desirable. The result is that drummers have trouble achieving consistent striking action of the drum.
Springs can also create noise that may be picked up by a nearby microphone which is often provided to pick up the bass drum sound. Creaking and other unwanted noise can occur throughout the cycle of spring stretching and tends to be most pronounced when least wanted, at maximum spring tension when the drum is being struck. Although felt strips and other noise suppressing materials have been applied to the spring, the improvement in noise suppression is usually more than offset by interference of the felt with smooth and repeatable rebound action of the spring.
Springs are also subject to wearing out due to fatigue caused by repeated cycling of the spring. The fatigue factor is aggravated by the additional pendulum motion caused by the eccentric mounting. Even before a spring wears to the point of breaking, its efficiency and repeatability can suffer significantly due to wear. Additionally, the spring attaches to a roller cam that can wear unduly and further aggravate the situation.
The hinges that are required to mount conventional drum pedal boards also create problems. Hinges are subject to becoming worn and tend to become loose or sloppy as they wear. Undue noise such as rattling and unpredictable movement can result from a loose hinge connection. Also, the drummer must adjust his or her operation of the pedal as the hinge and/or spring becomes worn. Consistent and repeatable striking sounds are difficult if not impossible to achieve under these conditions.
The need for springs and hinges creates the need for cams, bearings and axles for the springs and similar components separately for the hinge. This adds to the cost, complexity and likelihood of mechanical problems as well as to the weight. Further, the need for a large number of components detracts from the “feel” the drummer is able to sense and the freedom of movement of the device as a whole.
High hat cymbals have commonly been controlled through a similar pedal construction. Similar problems are encountered with high hat cymbals due to the shortcomings associated with the use of springs and hinges in the pedal assembly.